2020 Boat of the Year Nominees’ Specifications and Key Sailboat Comparison Metrics

Besides the obvious numbers used to describe a sailboat —length, beam, draft and sail area—CW’s Boat of the Year judges sometimes rely on sail area/displacement and displacement/length ratios, as well as decibels for sound while motoring, to compare similar vessels. One caveat, because sailboat design and building materials change over time: The design ratios work best when looking at boats of a similar era rather than comparing, say, a 1975 cruiser to a modern boat of similar size.

Let’s start with displacement/length. Displacement is a measure of how much water a particular hull form displaces, and length is, well, length. In general terms, the lower the D/L ratio is, the less water is being displaced for a given length, which would indicate better performance. Performance, though, often reflects speed, but not necessarily comfort, underway. Long-distance cruisers might get there fast on a boat with a very low D/L figure, but they might not get much sleep along the way because of the boat’s lively movement in a seaway.

1) Sail area is working sail area. 2) Displacement values are for light ship; D/L=(D/2,240)(lwl/100)3. 3); SA/D = SA/(D/64).2/3. 4) Prices are quoted by the builder with ­standard Boat of the Year equipment inventory; prices reflect currency values as of October 31, 2019. For draft figures “/” denotes alternative options; “-” denotes variable draft on one boat. (Herb McCormick/)

Sail area/displacement is a ratio that affects how much horsepower a particular sail plan has to push a vessel. Most cruising boats today will have an SA/D number in the high teens and low 20s, with the higher the ratio indicating a more powerful rig. Again, the numbers can deceive. The trend today is toward sail plans with non-overlapping jibs. Boats sail just fine upwind, but the minute you bear away, the relatively small jib quickly becomes ineffective. This, in turn, has been a boon for the suppliers of colored sails, such as code zeros and cruising spinnakers.

All boats equipped with inboard diesel engines (*denotes shaft drive; all others sail drive) (Herb McCormick/)

Lastly, our BOTY judges measure the sound or decibel levels aboard every boat when motoring. Why? First, it’s hard to sleep on a loud boat, and if the crew can’t stay rested, it can lead to all sorts of other problems. Second, silence doesn’t come cheap. Besides a lack of proper sound insulation, rattles and creaks caused by poor construction can all contribute to the din. To put things in perspective, 50 dB is equivalent to a quiet conversation at home, and 60 dB is akin to background music at a restaurant. Noise in the upper 70 dB range can be considered annoying; above 80 dB, noise can become harmful after long exposure.

See All Winners:

• <a href="https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/sailboats/catalina-545-named-2020-overall-boat-of-the-year/">Overall Boat of the Year</a>
• <a href="https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/sailboats/beneteau-oceanis-30-1-best-performance-cruiser/">Best Performance Cruiser</a>
• <a href="https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/sailboats/hallberg-rassy-44-best-midsize-cruiser-under-45-feet/">Best Midsize Cruiser Under 45 feet</a>
• <a href="https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/sailboats/x-yachts-x46-best-full-size-cruiser/">Best Full-size Cruiser</a>
• <a href="https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/sailboats/catalina-545-best-full-size-cruiser-over-55-feet/">Best Full-size Cruiser Over 55 Feet</a>
• <a href="https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/sailboats/excess-12-best-midsize-cruising-catamaran/">Best Midsize Cruising Catamaran</a>
• <a href="https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/sailboats/neel-47-trimaran-best-full-size-multihull/">Best Full-size Multihull</a>
• <a href="https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/sailboats/fountaine-pajot-elba-45-best-charter-boat/">Best Charter Boat</a>
• <a href="https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/sailboats/eagle-class-53-most-innovative/">Most Innovative</a>